Redemption for a King
by AzureSpider
Summary: Can a Dark Lord's greatest servant be redeemed? The Witch-King's final thoughts and subsequent realization of how miserable his life has been after Eowyn kills him. He finds himself grateful that it happened. Please read and review. OLDER Fan-Fic.


Redemption for a King

"I am no man."

And with those words the soldier of Rohan took off the helmet, revealing a beautiful young woman's face underneath, with long blonde hair and green eyes that unleashed a piercing stare.

"You look upon a woman"

That was obvious enough. As was the bitter irony that he was now confronted with. No living man could slay him…but a woman could.

And indeed, no sooner had she finished her proclamation did she jam her sword into his black empty face with all the force she could muster. The piercing sensation was vicious. As it was done, the Witch-King of Angmar felt an overcoming sensation of pain and agony. That was something he was not unused to, but this was different. This was the end of him. For a moment, he screamed and shrieked in defiance and fury. Slain…He, the great Witch-King, the Lord of the Nazgul, the greatest of Sauron's servants…slain by some Rohan wench. But then the more rational part of him prevailed, and he had an epiphany, and with it, a final desire…

As Eowyn staggered to her feet, still trying to overcome the injuries the Nazgul Lord had inflicted on her, the Witch-King grabbed her hand with one of his iron gauntlets. Eowyn panicked, and desperately tried to wrestle herself free of the vile creature's grip, but the Witch-King wouldn't let go. What he said next caught her completely off guard.

"Don't go child…please. There is something I…must tell you. Please listen…for my time is short…"

Eowyn stopped struggling for a second. The Witch-King stared at her blankly. His face was still featureless, hidden behind his sinister helmet, but Eowyn could almost now feel a pleading look in him. The Witch-King spoke, no longer sounding cold and soulless as he had before, but now he sounded almost like…like a man. A sad, remorseful man.

"For thousands of years I and my fellow kings of old have served our lord Sauron without question. For thousands of years we have ridden atop our black horses and our winged monsters given to us by our master, and for thousands of years we have hunted for his ring, and slaughtered hundreds if not thousands in his dark name. But now I see…I see how…sad it has all been. So sad…and cold, and miserable. Do you know what it's like child? An eternity of endless suffering dedicated to serving the great evils of this world? And how it then consumes you? Destroying any regret or remorse you may have ever had? Well, I have suffered all of these hells and more. But you…"

With his other hand, he trailed his metal fingers across her cheek and down her chin. His touch was ice cold, and she jerked her face away and again tried to tear herself free of his grip but he persisted.

"No! Please, listen! What I am trying to say is that you have freed me from these hells. Freed me from my curses and my burdens. And for this, for granting me this salvation…I…thank you."

Eowyn froze. She couldn't believe what he had just told her. He finally let go of her. Her first impulse was to get as far away from the monster as she could, but instead she remained rooted in place. The Witch-King took off his cursed ring. The penalty for doing so would have been death, and he never would have had the strength to go through it anyway. But now that he was already dying, and now that he had been freed of his curse, he removed the damned thing, and crushed it in his gauntlet. He looked up at his beautiful killer one last time.

"Be strong in the coming battles child. My former master has not yet lost. His ring, his source of power must be destroyed first. Once that happens, he will cease to exist. I wish you luck in this…and thank you again, shield maiden…"

And with this, the Witch-King finally died. His form was consumed and disappeared, leaving behind naught but an empty black cloak and his sinister helmet. For a moment, Eowyn simply stared at that helmet. In all of this, she had forgotten that a battle still raged. It didn't matter. She could no longer hear the sounds of it. She had become lost on the Nazgul Lord's redemption. She looked over to where her beloved uncle lay dead. If he had had any strength left after being mortally wounded by the Witch-King he had since expired now. She felt horrible that she couldn't be there with him in his last moments. But at the same time, she still thought about the great deed she had done today.

She had slain the Witch-King, and in doing so, made it so that he wasn't the Witch-King anymore…


End file.
